As many of you know, on the 24 of August 2010, acclaimed director Satoshi Kon passed away after a brief, but intense, battle with pancreatic cancer. His death was a shock to the anime world; just a few months shy of his 47th birthday, Kon was widely considered to be at the top of his game as a director. His impressive list of projects includes Perfect Blue, Millenium Actress, Tokyo Godfathers, Paranoia Agent, and Paprika. His final production, The Dream Machine, was incomplete when his health failed, and its future remains uncertain. Nevertheless, Kon leaves behind a legacy of game-changing and mind-blowing creations that skillfully blend reality and dreams.

We've teamed up with Madhouse and Otakon in a combined effort to give back to Satoshi Kon and his family.
What you can do to show your appreciation and thanks for his contributions to the anime culture:

1. Send a sympathy card, post card, letter, or even an email, to Kon's family.
Otakon will provide a temporary address in the US to receive physical mail, and will forward anything we receive there to Madhouse and Kon's family.
Also, Madhouse has set up a special email account to receive any such farewell messages.
If you wish, include a brief message about how his works touched you, or a photo of yourself cosplaying as one of his characters.
The plan is to present these messages to the family; it may bring some comfort to know how much Satoshi Kon was appreciated and respected, and how he touched so many lives.

2. Donate to an accredited charity that supports the fight against life-threatening cancers.
Do what you can to help battle pancreatic cancer. There are a large number of organizations that exist to fund cancer research. You can find a list of worthy recipients of your donation at the Charity Watch website: http://www.charitywatch.org

3. Buy stuff.
Specifically, buy DVDs and other merchandise associated with one of Kon's movies or TV shows. Do it for two reasons. First, strong sales may increase the likelihood that Kon's final project will be completed.
Second, like most in the animation industry, Satoshi Kon was not a wealthy man, but unlike many, he held some intellectual property that he hoped would continue to provide for his family after his death.

4. Share what you love.
This is arguably what fans do best: we fall in love with something and then we want others to love it, too. We build communities on the strength of the shared appreciation of art. So if Tokyo Godfathers restored your faith in humanity just a little bit, or if Paprika made you wonder about what goes on in your co-workers' heads, then by all means, make your friends watch those films and talk about them. Artists live on in what they leave behind.

Still greatly annoys me that I can't just go out and buy a brand new copy of Paranoia Agent or Millennium Actress (in R1). These never should have been able to go out of print. Seriously, why hasn't PA been rescued from Geneon yet and what is wrong with Dreamworks letting MA slip away, and now of all times?

I typically email but I might have to send a letter. I recently watched Tokyo Godfathers after hearing of his death and the movie was as good as everyone said it was. And I'll have to watch Paprika again.

I watched all of his films without knowing he made them a few years ago (except Paprika, just saw that this year). Some thought his works were too weird but I truly enjoyed them. His films were creative and unique and he was a rarity in my eyes. He will be missed.